Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was likely steered into the sea intentionally, by its own captain, in a pre-planned mass murder-suicide, a new report reveals. Malaysian Minister of Transport Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai chaired the meeting with Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester and Chinese Minister of Transport Yang Chuantang participating, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s communique. The Voice 370 statement was issued as as transport ministers from Australia, China and Malaysia prepared for a meeting Friday that may dictate how much longer the search continues.
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However, the countries say the process will be resumed if new evidence is found.
“Suspension does not mean the end of the search”, he said. Liow said at the press conference that it would come to conclusion sometime between October and December. The three countries have said the hugely expensive high-tech sonar operation far off western Australia will not be further expanded without “credible” new evidence pointing to a crash site. The search for answers for the families of the 227 passengers and 12 crew aboard the plane has continued ever since.
She said they were kept in an unlit room for the duration of the briefing, and not told of the goal.
MH370 was bound for Beijing, China, from Kuala Lumpur.
Speaking in 2014 about the mystery, the wife and daughter of Mr Shah said the 53-year-old pilot had been desolate in the weeks before the aircraft’s disappearance – and refused pleas to attend marriage counselling sessions. Crews are almost done scouring a 46,000 square mile swath of the South Indian Ocean, roughly the size of Greece, where experts believe the plane is located. The extended search has only turned up a few pieces of debris near East Africa. Eight pieces of debris have yet to be analyzed.
Liow also said the location where the debris were discovered was “consistent” with the MH370 drift modelling pattern, proving that the 120,000sq km search zone was right.
That area now being surveyed is expected to be fully searched possibly in the next few weeks.
Selamat urged the government to consider continuing the search in a new location which could point to the resting place of the aircraft.
Authorities concede hopes of finding the Boeing 777 are fading.
“At the moment, we do not have evidence to confirm that it was a controlled ditching”, he replied.
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It is unclear what steps would be taken once the search was suspended.
